Next Century Foundation

The Next Century Foundation (NCF) is a British-registered charity, a US not-for-profit and a UN-accredited non-governmental organisation that describes itself as a 'think-and-do tank' dedicated to conflict resolution. Its stated mission is to 'wage peace the way others wage war', convening people from opposing sides on a non-political level to lubricate the wheels of diplomacy. The Foundation's work is grounded in four freedoms: freedom from want, freedom of expression, freedom of religion and freedom from fear. NCF specialises in open and inclusive dialogue for peace, offering what it calls 'Flexible Crisis Response' and fostering environments where 'understanding the other' becomes possible. It works primarily, though not exclusively, on peace initiatives concerning the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, and has occasionally operated elsewhere, such as the former Yugoslavia. The organisation is independent: funders may determine projects but do not determine policy. It is not an NGO in the traditional sense, but a foundation that works on governments and sometimes with governments on strategies that foster peace, rapprochement and security. Operationally, NCF produces policy strategy papers and reports, and has conducted extensive work in Iraq, including a series of policy reports on the security situation and on Iraq's inter-regional relations and contested territories such as Kirkuk. It has participated in fact-finding missions across Iraq since 2003, including in some of the country's most dangerous and unstable regions, and has monitored provincial and parliamentary elections in Iraq since 2005. It also organises and participates in conferences on conflict resolution, counter-extremism and international migration analysis. Since 2005, NCF's subsidiary body, the International Council for Press and Broadcasting, hosted an annual International Media Awards ceremony in London to encourage high standards of journalism in the Middle East. In September 2013 the Council merged with the International Communications Forum and dissolved, uniting its activities, including the annual media awards, under the ICF banner. In June 2017 NCF again hosted the International Media Awards, and in 2020 announced it would hold the awards virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic. NCF is led by Secretary General William Morris, with Maggie Tomkinson as coordinator. Its founding members included businessmen, politicians, journalists and diplomats such as Claud Morris, Lord Arnold Weinstock, David Alliance, Baron Alliance CBE, Jaweed al-Ghussein, Arnold Goodman, Baron Goodman and Haim Yosef Zadok. In April 2017 the Foundation obtained UN special consultative status and attended the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in September 2017 to discuss issues including women's rights in Bahrain.

The Next Century Foundation was founded by a group of businessmen, politicians, journalists and diplomats, including Claud Morris, Lord Arnold Weinstock, David Alliance, Baron Alliance CBE, Jaweed al-Ghussein, Arnold Goodman, Baron Goodman and Haim Yosef Zadok. Its stated purpose was to wage peace the way others wage war, convening people of opposing sides on a non-political level to lubricate the wheels of diplomacy and to apply a solvent for the fear, insecurity and lack of trust that have so often bedevilled more public exchanges. From the early 2000s the Foundation built a reputation for behind-the-scenes work in conflict zones. It produced a series of policy reports on the security situation in Iraq and on Iraq's inter-regional relations and contested territories, including Kirkuk. Since 2003 it has participated in fact-finding missions across Iraq, operating in some of the most dangerous and unstable regions of the country. Since 2005 it has monitored provincial and parliamentary elections in Iraq; its election-monitoring delegates were reportedly the only international observers operating in both green and red zones of Iraq. The organisation has also organised and participated in a number of conferences on conflict resolution, counter-extremism and international migration analysis. In 2005 the Foundation's subsidiary body, the International Council for Press and Broadcasting, began hosting an annual International Media Awards ceremony in London to encourage high standards of journalism in the Middle East. The awards recognised journalists and radio and television broadcasters who fostered better understanding of peoples and political affairs through the consistent quality of their work; while not limited to the region, the awards historically focused on the Middle East and South Asia. In September 2013 the International Council for Press and Broadcasting merged with the International Communications Forum; the Council decided to dissolve and to unite all its activities, including the annual media awards, under the ICF banner. In June 2017 the Next Century Foundation again hosted the International Media Awards, with the event held on Wednesday 28 June. In 2020 the Foundation announced it would hold the International Media Awards virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2017 the Next Century Foundation obtained UN special consultative status, and in September 2017 it was present at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly to discuss issues such as women's rights in Bahrain. The Foundation continues to publish reports and statements to the UN, run events and maintain a blog covering developments in Gaza, Afghanistan, Sudan, Syria and European politics, among other topics. It is registered as a UN-registered NGO, a not-for-profit with the IRS in the United States and a UK-registered charity.

• Foundation established by a group of businessmen, politicians, journalists and diplomats

• Began participating in fact-finding missions across Iraq

• Began monitoring provincial and parliamentary elections in Iraq

• International Council for Press and Broadcasting began hosting annual International Media Awards in London

• International Council for Press and Broadcasting merged with the International Communications Forum and dissolved

• Obtained UN special consultative status

• Hosted the International Media Awards again in London

• Present at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly

• Announced the International Media Awards would be held virtually due to COVID-19

An independent, non-traditional foundation and 'think-and-do tank' that works on and with governments to foster peace, rapprochement and security, primarily in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.

• Policy strategy papers

• Iraq security and contested territories reports

• Election monitoring missions in Iraq

• Fact-finding missions

• International Media Awards

• UN statements and reports

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2. 2About - Next Century Foundationnextcenturyfoundation.org
3. 3Next Century Foundation - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Next Century Foundation - Wikipédia (FR)fr.wikipedia.org